AgriSURE
Full Form:
Agri Fund for Start-ups and Rural Enterprises — abbreviated as AgriSURE.
This scheme is like a venture capital support system for agriculture. It is designed to back high-risk but high-reward innovations in farming and allied activities — like Agritech, Food Processing, Animal Husbandry, etc.
Quick Facts
| Element | Details |
| Purpose | To support innovative, high-impact, high-risk activities in agriculture and allied sectors. |
| Sponsors | Jointly sponsored by the Government of India and NABARD. |
| Fund Manager | NABVENTURES Ltd. – a fully owned subsidiary of NABARD. |
| Tenure | 10 years (indicating it is a long-term investment initiative). |
Objectives – What is the Scheme Trying to Achieve?
- Promote Startups in agriculture and rural domains via Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).
- Strengthen the value chains — i.e., the system from farm to market — using forward and backward linkages.
- Create rural employment, especially for skilled youth.
- Attract youth back to agriculture through entrepreneurial opportunities.
💡 This aligns with UPSC themes of increasing farmers’ income, rural employment, and inclusive growth.
Background
- The scheme finds its origin in Budget 2022–23, which announced a blended capital fund.
- The fund follows a co-investment model – meaning public funds combine with private investment to boost startups.
- Focus is clearly on farm produce value chains — essentially building a better system for production, processing, and marketing.
Target Beneficiaries
The scheme plans to support 85 start-ups across sectors like:
- Agritech
- Food Processing
- Animal Husbandry
- Fisheries
- And other allied rural enterprises.
Legal Status
AgriSURE is registered with SEBI as a Category-II Alternative Investment Fund — giving it a formal, regulated status under India’s financial ecosystem.
Components of the Scheme
AgriSURE is divided into two major components:
A. AgriSURE – Fund of Funds (FoF) Scheme
It does not invest directly in start-ups, but invests in AIFs (Alternative Investment Funds) which in turn fund start-ups.
- Supports Category I & II AIFs.
- These AIFs can be sector-specific, sector-agnostic, or even debt funds, as long as they are SEBI-registered.
- Corpus: ₹450 Crores
- Investment Limit: ₹25 Crore per AIF or 5% of the AIF corpus, whichever is lower.
B. AgriSURE – Direct Scheme
Here, the scheme invests directly in DPIIT-recognized start-ups.
- Must be early-stage Indian start-ups.
- Corpus: ₹300 Crores
- Max Investment per Start-up: ₹25 Crores (as per AIF regulations)
Structure and Management of AgriSURE Fund
This is how the overall structure looks:
| Component | Details |
| Total Corpus | ₹750 Crores |
| Managing Entity | NABVENTURES (subsidiary of NABARD) |
| Funding Sources | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare – ₹250 CrNABARD – ₹250 CrAnother contributing financial institution (symbolized by bank icon) – ₹250 Cr |
This shows a public-private blended capital model at work — which helps reduce risk and increase funding confidence.
Broader Vision
The AgriSURE scheme is more than a financial tool — it’s a strategic intervention to:
- Build a vibrant agri-startup ecosystem.
- Promote rural entrepreneurship.
- Bridge the innovation gap in agriculture.
- Boost rural incomes and employment.
Conclusion:
AgriSURE is a forward-looking scheme aimed at transforming Indian agriculture from subsistence to entrepreneurial farming. With its focus on startups, innovation, and value chain improvement, it is perfectly aligned with the vision of self-reliant and future-ready rural India.